TRADE: NY Mets Swing Deal With Tampa Bay Rays for Reliever

The New York Mets have turned their season around in recent weeks, getting themselves into the Wild Card chase, and are 2.5 games back going into Tuesday's action. But their bullpen has suffered a bit, being decimated by injuries, and with the recent absence of Edwin Diaz to a sticky stuff suspension, and his overall poor performance this year.

With that, the Mets have been known to be in the market for some relief help. They've started that process by adding one piece on Tuesday, acquiring reliever Phil Maton from the Tampa Bay Rays.

The #Mets acquire a reliever. https://t.co/yBrw5No5kl
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) July 9, 2024

The old "player to be named later" or "cash considerations" goes to Tampa in exchange. The Mets had checked in on Maton during the offseason before he signed with the Rays. He was coming off an excellent season in Houston in 2023, in which he posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.

The 31-year-old right-hander is having a bit of a down year, however, in 2024, with a 4.58 ERA and a significant drop in his strikeout percentage, down to just 7.9 K/9, from sitting regularly above 10 K/9 over the past several years. But over the last month, Maton has turned things around and the Mets are pouncing on that. In his last 12 innings pitched, he's surrendered just one earned run, with 11 Ks against just one walk.

Maton has previously pitched for the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros in addition to Tampa, and has a career 4.28 ERA with a 10.1 strikeouts per nine mark.

The Mets also DFA'd Joey Lucchesi to make room for Maton on the roster.